Category: Santa Ana Police Department

Man Agrees to Plead Guilty For Allegedly Operating Illegal Casinos

SANTA ANA, Calif.—A 47-year-old Fountain Valley man has agreed to plead guilty to federal offenses for operating illegal gambling dens and paying over $100,000 in cash bribes to a Santa Ana Police Department officer to avoid law enforcement scrutiny of his underground casinos, according to a plea agreement filed Oct. 6 in federal court. Niem…


Longtime Santa Ana Detective Caught in Sting

SANTA ANA, Calif.—A veteran Santa Ana police detective who was allegedly caught up in a sting operation was charged Aug. 2 with child annoyance. Gregory Daniel Beaumarchais, 43, was charged with one misdemeanor count of annoying or molesting a person believed to be a child. He is scheduled to be arraigned Oct. 13. He is…


2 People Hit by Vehicle, One Fatally, in Santa Ana

SANTA ANA, Calif.—Two pedestrians in Santa Ana were struck by a vehicle on June 5, one fatally. The collision happened shortly before 8:30 p.m. in the area of 4725 West First Street, according to Santa Ana police. One person died at the scene. That person’s name was withheld pending notification of next of kin. The…


Federal Task Force Cracks Down on Illegal Gambling in Orange County

SANTA ANA, Calif.—A years-long criminal investigation led to authorities arresting seven people on May 25 who allegedly operated a string of illicit casinos throughout Orange County that involved drug trafficking, violence, and police corruption. “Organized criminal activity and illegal gambling schemes will not be tolerated in California,” California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a…


Independent Police Oversight Firm to Review Santa Ana Police Team

SANTA ANA, Calif.—An independent police oversight specialist will review an elite unit within the Santa Ana Police Department after a progressive blog accused some officers of having matching gang-like tattoos and assaulting citizens. Santa Ana Police Chief David Valentin May 11 disputed the allegations made by KnockLA, calling it misinformation. “This misinformation included baseless attacks…


Santa Ana Police Seize 5,000 Marijuana Plants from Illegal Operation

SANTA ANA, Calif.—The Santa Ana Police Department seized over 5,000 marijuana plants in an illegal grow operation on Jan. 26. The department’s vice detectives obtained a search warrant for the property off of 400 East Dyer Road after suspecting the building was an illegal cannabis cultivation site, according to the department. After serving the warrant,…


Santa Ana Reverses Decision to Punish Street Racing Spectators

Santa Ana city council is reversing its original decision to impose both fines and potential jail time on illegal street race spectators. Council in May voted in favor of the ordinance, which would have landed spectators with $1,000 fines and up to six month of jail time if they were caught within 200 feet of street racing activity….


Santa Ana’s Crime Surge Prompts Taskforce

Police and city officials in Santa Ana are launching a multifaceted crime-fighting initiative in response to a rise of homicides and other violent crimes. “The increase in violent crime, unfortunately, is consistent with patterns, both in small and large cities across the country throughout 2020,” Santa Ana Chief of Police David Valentin said during a…


Police Arrest Suspect for Kidnapping Woman From Santa Ana Hotel

Police arrested a 35-year-old convicted felon Dec. 29 after he allegedly kidnapped an 18-year-old woman at gunpoint from a hotel in Santa Ana, California. Santa Ana Police Department detectives tracked down the suspect—using hotel surveillance footage and witness descriptions—to his residence in Victorville. “They staked his residence out and then when he left, they pulled…


Pedestrian in Wheelchair Killed in Santa Ana Collision

A 75-year-old man in a motorized wheelchair was killed Dec. 29 after he was hit by a car while crossing the street in Santa Ana, California. The driver of a silver Toyota Prius was traveling northbound on Euclid Street, and approaching Second Street, when he collided with the man in the wheelchair at around 7:24…